Crazy Not I
by N.V.9
Summary: Sometimes the loss of a loved one can mess with your head. Is he there or is he not?


**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

_3 years old_

"Big Brother?" Sasuke whispered out of the corner of his mouth, his hand automatically tightening on his brothers. "Who are they?"  
Both looked thorugh the doorway watching the brightly dressed invaders. Two red heads and two blondes. All of them sitting across from their darkly dressed parents.

"They're visitors." Itachi finally said. "Come, Papa wants us to meet them."

"But they hurt my eyes Big Brother."

Itachi sighed, trying hard not to roll his eyes. He tried even harder to remind himself Sasuke was only three. Schooling his face, Itachi pulled his little brother behind him.

"Ah boys, there you are," his Papa said standing as they came closer. Pulling them in front of his own tall frame, his Papa turned them toward the guest. "Minato, Kushina, these are our sons, Itachi and Sasuke. Boys this is an old friend from my childhood."

"Hello," the two boys nodded politely.

"Hi!" A young voice called out before anyone else could speak. "I'm Naruto! This is Kyuubi!" he added holding up a stuffed fox.

"Naruto! Stop calling that thing by my name! Mom make him stop!" a red head said, glaring at his younger brother as he crossed his arms.

"Now, now Kyuubi, he does it because he loves you." Kushina grinned down at her son.

"Yeah! Naruto love Kyuubi!" Naruto yelled happily. His little frame jumping up and down.

"DAD!" Kyuubi pouted, looking to his father for assistance.

The adults laughed at the two boys antics.

"Boys, why don't you go play outside?" Fugaku suggested as he gently pushed his two boys toward Naruto and Kyuubi.

"Yes Papa," Itachi said walking side by side with Kyuubi as Sasuke waited for Naruto to stop jumping.

"Come on," Sasuke said trying to be superior to the blonde boy his age.

"Yeah! Yeah! Naruto and Kyuubi coming!" Naruto yelled latching on to Sasuke's arm and running out of the room.

Once outside the boys stood in a circle. Each of them waiting for someone to say something.

"Naruto play!" Naruto shouted running off to the playground set.

Kyuubi sighed and felt his cheeks redden at his brother's childish behavior. Sometimes it was so embarrassing. "Naruto get back here!"

"Should we go get him?" Itachi asked, biting his lip. He had no idea what to do with such an energic child. Sasuke was nothing like Naruto.

"No," Kyuubi decided, already feeling like he did his brotherly obligation to Naruto, "He'll just run so we'll play our own game. Sooner or later he'll come back."

"What do you want to play?" Sasuke asked. Kyuubi wished his brother was like Sasuke. He could do with a little less energy.

"I don't know, what do you want to play?"

Both ravens looked at one another before letting a smirk slip on their faces. Together they shouted, "Ninja!" and the game was on.

A few hours later, Kyuubi and Itachi were facing off against one another as Sasuke watched them from his position on the floor, it was time to go. Minato came out with the others behind him. "Kyuubi, we have to go. Where's Naruto?"

Kyuubi looked around before spotting his brother fast alseep on the slide. "There!" he pointed.

Minato shook his head and went to fetch Naruto and his little fox. A few minutes later they were gone.

"Are they coming back Papa?" Itachi asked.

"They're going to be moving down the road." Fugaku smiled as he placed his hands on both boys shoulders.

"So we'll see them again?" Sasuke asked looking up at this father.

"Would you like to?"

Without hesitation the boys nodded.

"Then yes."

Both boys grinned as they ran inside and up to their rooms. Each looking for things to play with the next time their new friends came over.

_7 years old_

"Kyuubi wanna play," Naruto said stubbernly, holding tighter to his still fluffy fox.

"Naruto you're a big boy right?" Itachi asked trying a different tactic. It had been four years since Naruto and Kyuubi moved near by and every one of those three years, the boys spent playing at one anothers house and trying to wing Naruto off of 'Kyuubi' the fox. So far, nothing they did worked.

"Yes, I'm a big boy." Naruto grinned puffing up his chest.

"Okay then big boys don't play with stuffed animals." Itachi went on.

Naruto seemed to think about this. All three boys thinking they won the fight when Naruto violently shook his head and said, "I'm not a big boy!" All three boys facepalmed themselves in annoyance.

"Naruto, Kyuubi's tired and he wants to sleep." Sasuke said suddenly.

Naruto looked at the little fox in his hand and bit his lip. "Sleep?"

"Yep. He's been awake all day and he's really tired." Kyuubi nodded, petting the fox's head.

"Very tired. You don't want to be mean to him, do you?" Itachi added in.

"No I don't want to be mean!" Naruto's voice trembled. He wanted to keep his fox close but he didn't want to hurt him. "I'm nice!"

"Then we have to leave him here on the couch and let him sleep." Itachi went on.

"Can I sleep too?" Naruto asked suddenly tightening his hold, small tears building in his eyes.

"No because... Kyuubi wants to rest alone." Kyuubi said thinking quickly. "He wants you to play."

Itachi, moving quickly, gently took the fox from Naruto and placed him on the couch. "There he's sleeping. Let's go play." he added, running outside with Kyuubi right behind him.

"Come on, Naruto let's go play." Sasuke said, gently grabbing on to Naruto's little hand.

"I'm coming." Naruto said sadly walking outside with one last look at Kyuubi sleeping all alone on the couch.

_9 years old_

"You're lying!" Sasuke shouted, clenching his fist. "He's not dead!" tears made there way down his face, falling freely.

Itachi sat frozen in his seat next to the one Sasuke was sitting in seconds ago. His father's words playing in his mind like a broken record in his mind, 'boys it's Naruto... he... he passed away.' 'They found him by the lake."

"Naruto's not dead! He's missing! He's not dead!" Sasuke screamed in a broken voice.

How was Kyuubi taking this? Itachi wondered. Itachi knew right now he couldn't feel anything. If he was crying he didn't know. Did that make him evil?

Naruto was like a brother to him... no not like, was his brother. Just like Uncle Minato was Papa's brother. Naruto was the baby of their group. Practicaly Sasuke's twin. Both were joined at the hip ever since they conviced Naruto to leave the fox on the couch. When Sasuke's birthday came around Naruto gave it to Sasuke, 'So when I'm not around' he had explain at the confusion on Sasuke's face.

A few days after that Naruto went missing. He had disappeared after school one day. He normally walked with them but Sasuke had a doctor's appointment so had left early. Kyuubi and Itachi had soccer practice. Naruto was supposed to have gone to his friends house, but when Naruto never walked with Kiba to his mom's car, Kiba's mom called Naruto's parents.

Uncle Minato was at work, but when he got the call, he left in the middle of a meeting to find his son. Papa had been with him every step of the way.

When hours turned to days and days to months, things got quickly worse. Kyuubi had become cold to everyone. He stopped listening to everybody and got suspended from school. Later he was expelled.

Itachi no longer spoke to him after Kyuubi broke his arm. He said it wasn't fair that Itachi still had his brother and he didn't.

Uncle Minato took a temporary leave from work and never went back. Aunt Kushina went into depression and was always medicated now.

His father, who worked with his Uncle, took on the bulk of the work and helped keep Minato's family afloat. His mother cried and prayed every night. And Sasuke would always go to Naruto's room calling from him. After a while of no answer, Sasuke stopped going over and started taking 'Kyuubi' the fox with him everywhere. He now called it Naruto.

"He's not dead!" Sasuke screamed again as he lunged at his father and began hitting him with his fist. "He's hiding!"

"Sasuke," his Papa said, pulling him close to his chest and whispered nonsense into Sasuke's ear.

Itachi watched as his mother cried into her hands.

"He's not coming back." Itachi whispered brokenly to himself. Turning to the right he spotted 'Naruto the fox'. Without thinking twice, he picked up the fox and hugged it as tight as he could. Closing his eyes he cried.

Three days later he was saying good-bye to Naruto for one last time.

"Itachi?" at the sound of his brother's voice he turned. This was the first time Sasuke had spoken since they found out about Naruto.

"Yes Sasuke?"

Sasuke opened his mouth and closed. "Nothing." running his hand over the fox's head, sticking out of his jacket, he turned away. Itachi watched him make his way over to thier parents and Uncle Minato.

"He's never coming back." Kyuubi said walking up to him. His voice empty of any emotion.

"No." Itachi whispered looking back at the little grave.

"My Mom's in the hospital. When she found out about Naruto she tried to kill herself." Kyuubi said after sometime. "My dad... He's lost."

Looking toward his uncle, Itachi saw what he meant. Minato no longer looked part of this world. He seemed more like a robot then anything else. His face seemed... Itachi didn't know how to explain it.

"I don't think I'm going to get him back." Kyuubi whispered, looking at his father. Turning to face Itachi he said, "Naruto wasn't supposed to die. We were supposed to save him, we always saved him."

"Those were games, Kyu." Itachi said.

"But life is a game and we screwed it up."

Itachi realized Kyuubi never spoke louder then a low whisper. It was almost like he was afraid if he did then he would scream.

"Itachi... I don't want to be alone."

"You won't be. You have me." Itachi said, not liking the emotions playing across his once best friend's face.

"I'm sorry."

Itachi knew Kyuubi was apologizing for hurting Itachi, for his attitude, for everything and so much more, but before he could say anything back, Kyuubi turned and walked away.

_3 months later._

"Itachi?" Sasuke called coming into his room.

"Yeah?"  
"Naruto says he's hungry. Can you make us lunch?"

Itachi jerked at the sound of Naruto's name. It had been so long since any one had said it. Turning to face Sasuke he blinked. "What are you doing with the fox?" Itachi could have sworn Sasuke had gave it Kyuubi when Kyuubi asked if he could have it.

"He's not a fox, he's Naruto." Sasuke said giggling. To be honest, Sasuke's voice and smile was freaking him out. It was like before Naruto died or disappeared. Almost like he erased it from his mind.

"Sasuke, Naruto's gone." Itachi said slowly.

"No he's not he's right here!" Sasuke screamed angrily before breaking into another smile, "Can you feed us?"

"That's not Naruto."

Itachi felt fear spread down his spine at the coldest look on Sasuke's face and just as quickly it was gone.

"Fine be that way. Come on Naruto, lets go make our own food."

_Few days later_

Itachi was walking by Sasuke's room with Kyuubi right beside him when they heard Sasuke speaking. With a frown, both boys walked toward Sasuke's door and opened it.

There on the floor was Sasuke and the fox laying across from one another, a coloring book between them and crayons spread across the floor around them. They watched as Sasuke talked to the fox as if it were really Naruto. When he broke into laughter, Kyuubi quickly turned away and ran out of the house.

"Sasuke what are you doing?" Itachi asked walking in slowly.

"Coloring with Naruto. He's not very good."

"Naruto's dead."  
"No he's not! Stop lying!" Sasuke screamed, sitting up and throwing the book at Itachi, "Get out!" he yelled running at Itachi and pushing him. When the door slammed in Itachi's face, he knew he needed to speak to his father.

Later that day, Itachi was outside listening to the silence of the room. When he told his father about Sasuke, he had only said, 'he's grieving in his own way'. Itachi still couldn't believe how he dismissed the matter.

"So Naruto, want to play on the swing?"

At the sound of Sasuke's voice, Itachi turned. He watched as Sasuke walked with the fox in hand and sit on the swing. The whole time Sasuke talked to the empty swing and when he jumped off he held out his hand and seemed to wait for something to grasp it. Moments later, Sasuke walked inside talking to air.

Itachi held his breath as shock travled through his mind. Watching the swing were Sasuke was a second ago, he whispered, "He's grieving. He'll get over it. He doesn't understand." Yet all of them didn't make him feel better.

_13 years old_

"Naruto don't do that to my homework." Sasuke said glaring as he picked up pieces of paper all over the floor. "We'll play when I'm done." after a small silence he sighed, "I can't." another silence, "Because if I don't do this, I'll fail school."

Stacking his papers back on his desk he laughed, "Stop, you're distracting me. Go sit on the bed, I'm almost done." When he heard the front door open and shut he sent a worried glance to the door and then to Naruto. "Shhh, Naruto if they hear you, they'll give me those pills again...hurry hide." moving quickly, he opened the closet door and waited for Naruto to get in. "Fine I'll get the fox, you're such a baby." with a huff he ran back to the bed and grabbed the fox. Putting it in Naruto's lap he closed the door with only a small crack of light showing. After all, Naruto was afraid of the dark.

With his heart pounding, he quickly went back to his desk and pretended to work.

"Sasuke?" Itachi knocked on his door.

"Come in," Sasuke called not looking up.

"Sasuke, I have to tell you something." Itachi said his face very serious. Beckining Sasuke over to the bed as he sat down.

"What's wrong Itachi?"  
"Kushina passed away today." Itachi said gravely.

"She died?" Sasuke asked glancing toward the closet. Itachi seeing this, followed his eyes.

"Sasuke?" when Sasuke looked up guiltily, Itachi frowned, "Is there something in there?" Not waiting for Sasuke to respond he walked to the door.

"Stop!" Sasuke yelled running in front of Itachi.

"Sasuke move." Itachi commanded. Please let him be wrong.

"No." Sasuke said stubbernly spreading out his arms.

"Now." Itachi demanded using the voice his father used when he wanted them to obey.

Sasuke looked down but didn't move. Itachi's frown deepened as he pushed Sasuke out of the way and opened the closet door. His eyes automatically landing on the fox sitting on a crate.

"Please don't tell." Sasuke said grabbing on to Itachi's arm. "Please Itachi. Naruto needs me. I need to keep him safe." Sasuke begged as tears built up in his eyes.

Itachi looked away from Sasuke as he turned back to the fox. It had been a few years since he last seen it. His father had put it away when Sasuke kept insisting Naruto was there. That same day Sasuke had a break down and was put on pills to calm him down. It was only a year ago that Sasuke got off of them. "Why do you have it?"

"Naruto needs it." Sasuke said as Itachi raeched down for the fox.

"Sasuke." Itachi whispered pulling free from his brother's tightening grasp.

"No! Naruto needs it! It keeps him happy!" Sasuke cried trying to take the fox back. "Please don't take it."

"Sasuke-"

"No! I pay attention to him! Me! Not you! Only me!"

"Sasuke... I'm sorry." Itachi said walking out of the room.

Sasuke fell to his knees as he cried. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

_17 years old_

"Hello Sasuke," Itachi said as he sat in the chair beside Sasuke's bed, the other chair occupied by the fox that Kyuubi had brought two years ago. Kyuubi had said, 'Naruto gave it to him, Sasuke deserved to have the last present Naruto had given him'.

Ever since the mental break down four years ago, Sasuke went berserk. He attacked Itachi and then their father when he couldn't find the fox. The pills only helped for a few months before they stopped working. After a while of dealing with the stress, Fugaku thought it would be best if Sasuke was in the hands of professionals. Four years, four years of being here all because he kept seeing Naruto. When would he let go of him?

Itachi looked at the glazed look on his brother's face. Right now Sasuke looked at the ceiling, his face never flickering or giving any sign that he heard Itachi.

Itachi wondered what pill he was on now. Sasuke had so many that he had to take. He no longer refused to take them. Just doing as he was told and never fighting back.

Looking around the room Itachi thought it was ironic that Sasuke was in room 710, the age Naruto disappeared and the day he was born.

"I have some good news to tell you." When he didn't get a response, Itachi looked at the once broken child that had become a broken young man. No pills did this to him. At most they calmed him and made him sleepy.

Right now Sasuke was dead to the world. It wasn't the pills that made Sasuke this way, it was himself. He finally closed himself off from the world. "I...Sasuke... they found him... they found Naruto's murderer." Itachi said ignoring the package in his lap. "They found him. They're going to give him a speedy trial. He was on drugs when he kidnapped Naruto. He won't say what he did to Naruto for a year, he says he can't remember. He just remembers hearing him crying and he got tired of it. He killed Naruto and placed him by the river." wiping away the lone tear, Itachi went on. "Minato can finally move on now. He and Kyuubi cried but their doing okay. They can both let go of the past. We can all let go."

Sasuke blinked and turned his head. His eyes seeming to get more life the longer he stared at Itachi. Before Itachi could say something else, Sasuke smiled. His smile looking so innocent and young, that Itachi had to hold his breath. When Sasuke's eyes shifted to the chair next to Itachi, he chuckled softly.

Following his gaze Itachi gasped at what he saw. There, sitting in the chair holding the fox, was Naruto. Smiling and looking like he did the last time Itachi had seen him. He watched as Naruto giggled and waved good-bye, his little form fading away. Sasuke was telling the truth... he did see Naruto. Naruto had always been with Sasuke. Was he waiting for this too? To have his murderer captured?

"Itachi, can we go home?" Sasuke asked softly breaking into his thoughts. "Naruto can finally rest."

Itachi unsure of what to do, nodded, "Okay."


End file.
